Liquid fuel burner

ABSTRACT

A liquid fuel burning device includes a first fuel reservoir adapted for holding a supply of fuel, a wick system adapted to cooperate with the first reservoir to draw fuel therefrom for combustion, a second fuel reservoir and a fuel feed tube communicating between the first fuel reservoir and the second fuel reservoir. The first reservoir can be closed to form a substantially air tight seal such that as fuel is consumed from the first reservoir, a partial vacuum is created within the first reservoir which automatically draws further fuel through the feed tube from the second fuel reservoir, thereby maintaining a constant fuel supply in the first reservoir.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to wick operated liquid fuel burning devices andin particular to an improved liquid fuel regulator and an improvedwicking device.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Wick operated liquid or solid fuel burning devices have been used forcenturies as a means of providing controlled burning of such fuel togive light or heat.

Candles and oil burning lamps are two familiar examples of such devices.Candles have an elongate textile wick extending through a solid waxshaft where the burning of the wick heats and melts the surrounding waxwhich supplies the combustible fuel to keep the wick alight.

Oil burning lamps are more complex devices where a wick is suspended ina reservoir of combustible fuel and the capillary action of the wickdraws liquid fuel up the wick to supply the combustible fuel to theburning area of the wick.

The quality and quantity of flame achieved by wick operated burningdevices is governed by a number of factors including the type ofcombustible fuel used, the capillary action of the wick which controlsthe quantity of fuel reaching the burning surface and the amount of wickexposed for burning which affects the quantity of oxygen available tosupport combustion.

The expected performance of wick operated burning devices varies withthe nature of the device but generally limitations in performance areattributable to one or more of the above factors. For example, inconventional burners the height of the wick determines the size of theflame and the rate of fuel use. Therefore the burn time available isdependent on the height of the wick above the combustible fuel holdingreceptacle and the capacity of the reservoir holding the combustiblefuel. However, it has been determined that for normal wicks, thepractical maximum depth of combustible fuel that can be accessed isapproximately 5 inches or 125 millimeters. This limitation is due tocapillary flow limitations of the wick which limits the height fuel canbe drawn up a wick For large diameter burners, such as 60 millimeters orlarger, the liquid volume can be greater than 200 milliliters andprovide a burn time of twenty hours or more providing the verticalheight of the burner does not require a wick of more than 125 mm inlength. However, such burners look bully and cumbersome and do notalways provide an appropriate aesthetic appearance.

For example, burners may be used to imitate a candle. Candles have beenused as a decorative and practical lighting means for many centuries.However, the wax residue and the deformation of shape when wax candlesused do not contribute to their decorative features. As an alternativeto wax candles it has been suggested to use a fuel-burning lampemulating a candle shaped lamp. Such a fuel-burning lamp could comprisea reservoir holding combustible fuel, upon which tubular members extendin order to provide a candle shaped burner. A wick extends from an upperexternal part to the internal bottom of the reservoir base. Thetechnology used to provide and operate such candle imitating lamps has,to date, simply followed the basic principles of conventional burnerdesign. However, as previously described, such design has limitations,particularly for wick length such that elongate candle shaped lampsoften exceed the maximum practical wick length of 125 mm. A furtherproblem involves the burn time of such lamps. Lamps capable of longburns tend to be squat and are shaped differently to a slender andelegant candle shape.

However, when burning lamps are constructed in the shape of elongatecandles their size only provides a burn time of about 3 to 4 hours. Manyfunctions such as wedding receptions and the like may extend for aperiod of some 6 to 8 hours. Therefore these known liquid burners mustbe refueled and are often considered not appropriate and not used forsuch events.

Various attempts to address this problem have been considered. In oneproposed solution a wick extends into a fuel reservoir having aparticular capacity that is filled with combustible liquid and when thatcombustible liquid is finished an electric pump system pumps furtherfluid to refill the reservoir. In this way, an extended time period ofcandle burning can be achieved. However, such an apparatus requires aseparate power supply with a control network to pulse the electricitywhen the reservoir needs replenishing.

Another significant problem with known oil lamp wick systems is thevariation of the size of the flame dependent on the depth of oil in thereservoir. As can be determined by the maximum practical depth of thereservoir being 5 inches or 125 millimeters there is less capillary flowwhen the reservoir is nearly empty and the wick must draw the oil fromnear the bottom of the wick over a small surface area to when thereservoir is full and the wick is drawing oil from near the top of thereservoir over the whole length of the wick The size of the flame willalso be dependent on wick diameter, wick protrusion, wick material, wickstructure and the like with a combination of the above determining wickcapillary action. The known oil burners can be set up to provide areasonably pleasing effect. However, there is an inherent variation ofwick capillary flow which depends on the distance that the oil must flowand the amount of wick exposed to the oil/fuel. In particular, a fullreservoir provides the entire wick length and large surface area thereofwith a high capillary drawing of fuel which gives rise to a rich fuelmixture. As the fuel level decreases in the reservoir the amount of fueldrawn by the wick decreases as less wick surface area is exposed to thefuel, and the fuel/oxygen ratio optimises. However, as the fuel levelcontinues to drop, the wick surface area exposed to fuel also dropsgiving rise to a lean mixture. Accordingly, in most liquid fuel burnersthe fuel mixture supplied to the wick over the time period the fuelreserves are consumed is in a state of continuous flux leading to aconstantly fluxing flame.

Furthermore, the wicks in such burners suffer premature deteriorationdue to the non-optimal burning.

All the above problems result in practical and aesthetic limitations tothe use and potential application of liquid fuel burning devices whetherused as lighting lamps or heating lamps.

In the case of lighting application where burners emulate wax candles,the limitations are particularly acute as any uneven burning over theburning range of lamp can be quite undesirable and the desirable shapeof the lamp (long and thin) provides a very limited available fuelsupply to such shaped lamps.

One way of overcoming such limitations is to start with a larger thanrequired aesthetic size. However, a larger size of burner will stillsuffer from uneven burning albeit over a longer length of time.Moreover, such articles, if used on a number of tables at a restaurantover many nights, will substantially increase costs and render such asystem unacceptable in many commercial enterprises. The currentlyavailable oil lamps do not satisfactorily address this problem orprovide any viable solutions.

In the case of heating lamps the uneven flame is undesirable and thelimited burn time is also a problem. In addition such lamps due to theircompact heat retaining design may lead to undesirable heating of thefuel reservoir as the exposed wick is generally positioned in closeproximity to the fuel reservoir.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved wick operatedliquid fuel burning device and an improved liquid fuel regulator.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly in one aspect the invention provides an improved liquid fuelburning device comprising a first reservoir adapted for holding a supplyof said liquid fuel, a wick system adapted to co-operate with said firstreservoir to draw fuel therefrom for combustion wherein said firstreservoir has a fuel feed tube communicating between the interior andexterior of said first reservoir and wherein said first reservoir can beclosed to form a substantially air-tight seal such that as fuel isconsumed from said first reservoir a partial vacuum is created withinsaid first reservoir which automatically draws further fuel up said feedtube from a second fuel reservoir and a constant fuel supply ismaintained in said first reservoir.

The first reservoir may take the form of a small pod having a sealedbottom and an open top.

The wick system may comprise a wick tube which traverses a cap. The wicktube will be fitted with a replaceable wick adapted to snugly fit saidwick tube and the cap may be provided with a seal such that the cap cancooperate with the open top of the pod to maintain a substantially airtight seal with the pod.

Alternatively the wick system can be supplied complete as a disposableunit.

The feed tube may have a first aperture and a second aperture whereinthe first aperture is positioned within said pod toward the top thereofand the second aperture is positioned outside said pod.

The second fuel reservoir may take the form of an elongate tube and willmost preferably have a shape similar to an elongate wax candle.

In another embodiment the invention provides a lighting devicecomprising one or a plurality of the aforesaid burning devicesassociated with one or more second fuel reservoirs.

In another embodiment the invention provides a heating device comprisingone or a plurality of the aforesaid burning devices associated with oneor more second fuel reservoirs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some particularly preferred embodiments will now be described withreference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

FIG. 1 shows an exploded perspective view of one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2 shows an assembled view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a fully assembled view of the burning device and its secondreservoir.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a third embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a forth embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows graphical comparison of flame heights over burn time.

FIG. 8 shows a graph of fuel usage over time.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 and 2 a particularly preferred embodimentof the invention is shown where the liquid fuel burning device of theinvention can be seen to comprise a first reservoir 1 which takes theform of a small cylindrical pod 4 having an open top 6 and a sealedbottom 5. The first reservoir is adapted to hold a limited quantity ofcombustible fuel for feeding the wick system 2. The wick system is madeup of a cap 7 having a wick tube 6 passing through. The wick tube isprovided with a small length of wick 8 which is dimensioned to snuglyfit Within the wick tube so as to establish a substantially airtightseal. The lower part of the cap 7 is provided with a seal 9 such thatwhen the wick system 2 is fitted to the top of the pod 4 a substantiallyairtight seal is effected with respect to the first reservoir 1. Thewick system can be produced with a replaceable wick or as a disposableunit which can be replaced as needed. The pod 4 is further provided witha feed tube 3 which provides a communication means between the insideand outside of first reservoir. The feed tube 3 can take any form andcan be of virtually any shape, length or configuration. The feed tube isprovided with a first aperture 10 occurring within the confines of thefirst reservoir 1 and most preferably being positioned toward the opentop 6. The second aperture 11 is provided at the exterior end of thefeed tube such that the first and second apertures provide a direct lineof communication between the inside and outside of the first sealedreservoir.

FIG. 2 shows details of the assembled liquid fuel-burning device wherethe wick system 2 has been inserted into the open top 6 of the pod 4.The wick 8 can be seen in phantom to adopt a compact position within thefirst reservoir 1 and the wick can be optionally folded to provideoptimal surface area and capillary drawing potential of the combustiblefuel. The small size of the pod 4 and wick 8 provide a highly controlledand uniform environment for supplying a constant rate of fuel to thewick. As the fuel in the first reservoir 1 is consumed, a vacuum iscreated within the interior of the first reservoir which causes asuction to be effected along the length of the feed tube 3 which iscommunicated to the second aperture 11. The second aperture 11 of thefeed tube is adapted for placement within a second reservoir which canbe either associated with liquid fuel burning device or can be remotelypositioned. The only requirement is for the maintenance of a line ofcommunication between the feed tube and the supply of fuel from thesecond reservoir. The size of the first reservoir is not critical, but asmall size in comparison with the main fuel supply in the secondreservoir makes best use of the features and advantages of theinvention. In particular a small first reservoir or pod allows a limitedsupply of combustible fuel to be stored near the operating flame,thereby reducing the chance of fire. In addition, the smaller pod sizeopens up a vast range of design possibilities which are free of theconstraint of having a large fuel reservoir in close proximity to theoperating flame. Furthermore, the absolute size of the first reservoirwill depend on the type of application. In a miniature burner a verysmall pod would be used, with corresponding reduction in wick size andfeed tube dimensions. In another application, a large garden lamp couldbe constructed using a larger pod, wick and feed tube to keep up thenecessary fuel flow required by such a large unit. In all applicationsthe relative size of pod, wick and feed tube would be determined toachieve optimal flame quality for the application in question.

Referring now to FIG. 3 one particular embodiment of the invention isshown where the burning device of the invention is used to construct alighting device resembling a table candle. In this application theliquid fuel burning device of the invention is associated with a secondreservoir 12 in the form of a slender and elongate cylindrical containermimicking the shape of a candle. The candle shaped second reservoir mayhave a diameter of approximately 20 mm and is able to be stood up orplaced in candleholders so as to provide a suitable flamed unitsubstantially mimicking a dinner table candle. The length of the secondreservoir can similarly mimic a candle and may be any desirable lengthincluding a length exceeding the currently available wicking potentialof a standard liquid fuel-burning device which is in the order of 5inches.

The liquid fuel burning device of the invention is able to provide forthe first time a liquid fuel burning light as a close facsimile of acandle with the advantages of providing a highly extended burning timeand consistent flame size and bum quality throughout the whole durationof operation. In particular with a suitable choice of fuel and wick sizeit is possible to achieve a burning time of at least 8 hours without theneed to replenish the supply of fuel in the second reservoir.

The candle shape structure can be configured such that the pod 4 iseither totally contained within or forms an integral part of the secondreservoir 12 such that the mechanics involved in the device of theinvention are substantially disguised with a completed device providinga very life-like resemblance to a wax candle.

In use, in the previously described embodiment the second reservoir 12would be filled with combustible fuel and the liquid fuel burning devicewould be primed by filling the first reservoir 1 with fuel and insertingthe pod 4 into the second reservoir 12 such that the feed tube 3 extendsthe substantial length of the second reservoir 12 with the secondaperture 11 resting close to the bottom of the second reservoir 12. Thepod 4 may be provided with an optional seal 13 (see also FIGS. 1 and 2)which may fit around the top of the second reservoir to ensure thatfumes and leakage does not occur from the second reservoir. Of course,sufficient breathing capacity will be provided in the second reservoirto ensure that the vacuum occurring as fuel is used from the firstreservoir is sufficient to allow fuel from the second reservoir to bedrawn up the feed tube 3 to replenish and maintain a constant controlfuel from the second reservoir to the first reservoir.

In a particularly preferred form the second reservoir has an internaldiameter of about 19 mm and a height of about 20 cm. The pod 4 has aninternal diameter of about 16 mm and a height in the order of 30 mm. Thefeed tube 3 has a diameter of about 1.8 mm and extends through thesealed bottom 5 of the pod down the length of the second reservoir tothe bottom thereof. The wick tube 6 has a diameter of about 4 mm and thewick is a wedged double folded 3.1 mm wick 8 which allows for a measureof shrinkage after the initial burn but whilst maintaining asubstantially sealed and snug fit through the wick tube. The wick tube 6may also be provided with a device for adjusting the wick in and out ofthe wick tube 6 so as to allow full control of the bum. The height ofthe wick 8 can therefore be preset and/or adjusted and together with thesize of the wick and the choice of combustible fuel the most appropriatesized flame can readily be achieved and maintained. The level ofcombustible fuel within the first reservoir 1 remains substantiallyconstant throughout use due to the action of the feed tube 3consistently and continually refilling the first reservoir 1 as thecombustible liquid is consumed by the burning of the wick 8. Theconstant relationship between the feed tube 3 and the second reservoir12 ensures a constant feed rate of fuel. Breather holes 16 may beprovided at or near the top of the second reservoir 12 so as to ensurethat atmospheric pressure is maintained within the second reservoirthereby providing the necessary differential pressures in the secondreservoir and the firs reservoir as fuel is consumed.

Tables 1 to 3 show test results where the performance of the burner ofthe invention is clearly demonstrated where a constant flame size andquality is achieved and maintained over the complete length of the burnin contrast to currently available wick systems.

TABLE 1 Marker Fuel Time level on used at taken to reservoir eachCumulative reach each Cumulative Flame (1 cm marker fuel used markerburning time height intervals) level (ml) (ml) (min) (min) (cm) 1 1.51.5 12 12 2.5 2 1.5 3.0 12 24 2.5 3 1.5 4.5 10 34 2.5 4 1.5 6.0 10 442.5 5 1.5 7.5 11 55 2.5 6 1.5 9.0 11 66 2.5 7 1.5 10.5 11 77 2.5 8 1.512.0 11 88 2.5 9 1.5 13.5 12 100 2.5 10 1.5 15.0 12 112 2.5 11 1.5 16.513 125 2.5 12 1.5 18.0 14 139 2.0 13 1.5 19.5 16 155 1.5 14 1.5 21.0 17172 1.5 15 1.5 22.5 22 194 1.0 16 1.5 24.0 25 219 0.6 17 1.5 25.5 30 2490.5

Table 1 shows flame height results using a standard wick holder with a3.2 mm hole (restricting the capillary action of the wicking) ⅛^(th)inch round woven fibreglass wicking (230 mm long). Reservoir is 210 mmhigh and has an ID of 12.7 mm. Markers down the length of reservoir at10 mm increments. Each segment has a volume of 1.5 ml of fuel.

TABLE 2 Marker Fuel Time level on used at taken to reservoir eachCumulative reach each Cumulative Flame (1 cm marker fuel used markerburning time height intervals) level (ml) (ml) (min) (min) (cm) 1 1.51.5 6 6 5.0 2 1.5 3.0 8 14 5.0 3 1.5 4.5 7 21 5.0 4 1.5 6.0 8 29 5.0 51.5 7.5 7 36 5.0 6 1.5 9.0 8 44 5.0 7 1.5 10.5 9 53 4.0 8 1.5 12.0 9 623.5 9 1.5 13.5 10 72 3.0 10 1.5 15.0 13 85 2.5 11 1.5 16.5 14 99 2.0 121.5 18.0 16 115 1.5 13 1.5 19.5 18 133 1.0 14 1.5 21.0 22 155 0.8 15 1.522.5 26 181 0.6 16 1.5 24.0 29 210 0.5 17 1.5 25.5 31 241 0.4

Table 2 shows flame height results using a standard wick holder with a4.0 mm hole (not restricting capillary action of wicking). ⅛^(th) inchround en fibreglass wicking (230 mm long). Reservoir is 210 mm high andhas of 12.7 mm Markers down the length of reservoir at 10 mm increments.Each segment has a volume of 1.5 ml of fuel.

TABLE 3 Marker Fuel Time level on used at taken to reservoir eachCumulative reach each Cumulative Flame (1 cm marker fuel used markerburning time height intervals) level (ml) (ml) (min) (min) (cm) 1 2.5 23 0.75 0.75 6 6 2.5 4 1.5 22.5 14 20 2.5 5 1.5 3.75 14 34 2.5 6 1.5 5.2513 47 2.5 7 1.5 6.75 13 60 2.5 8 1.5 8.25 13 73 2.5 9 1.5 9.75 12 85 2.510 1.5 11.25 13 98 2.5 11 1.5 12.75 12 110 2.5 12 1.5 14.25 13 123 2.513 1.5 15.75 13 136 2.5 14 1.5 17.25 13 149 2.5 15 1.5 15.75 13 162 2.516 1.5 20.25 13 175 2.5 17 1.5 21.75 13 188 2.5 18 1.5 23.25 13 201 2.519 1.5 24.75 13 214 2.5 20 1.5 26.25 13 227 2.5 21 1.5 27.75 13 240 2.522 3.0 30.75 24 264 2.5 Pod Fuel 1 265 1.5 4 269 0.5

Table 3 shows flame height results using a primary reservoir andsecondary (pod) reservoir system of the invention. Secondary reservoir,air tight, with 4.0 mm wick-holder hole, and ¼ inch fiberglass wicking(55 mm long). Reservoir is 210 mm high and has an ID of 12.7 mm. Markersdown the length of reservoir at 10 mm increments. Each segment has avolume of 1.5 ml of fuel.

The particular embodiment of the invention in the form of an imitationtable candle provides for the first time such a device allowing a candlelike structure to be used as a liquid fuel burning light which canprovide a consistent high quality flame over a substantially increasedburning time thereby providing for the first time a candle like lightable to be lit and used continuously for many hours without requiringmaintenance or refueling.

The pod can be positioned anywhere in relation to the second reservoirwith the only limitation being the need for the first reservoir in thepod being able to siphon fuel from the second reservoir. Accordingly thepod may be positioned directly above the second reservoir or to the sidethereof or even immersed into the second reservoir. The pod andreservoirs may be constructed of any suitable material, includingthermally insulated materials. The feeding tube may be varied in sizeand shape with a constant diameter along the length or tapering diameterif regulated fuel siphoning is required. The small size of the firstreservoir ensures that only the fuel needed immediately is keptproximate to the flame thereby minimising waste, leakage and potentialfor fire due to overheating.

Referring now to FIG. 5 a second embodiment of the invention is shownwherein the improved liquid fuel burning device of the invention is usedas a heating unit and a plurality of the burning devices are assembledwithin a mounting or housing 15 so as to provide a flame based heatingunit. The fuel burning devices of the invention are provided at regularintervals along the housing 15 with the pods 4 placed within the housingsuch that the wicks 8 project at regular intervals to provide the heatsource. The feed tubes 3 are able to be arranged to source fuel from thesecond reservoir 12 which is placed remotely from the heating unit andis accessed continuously by the feeder tubes 3. Apart from thepreviously mentioned advantages which apply equally to the heatingapplication as they do to the lighting application a further keyadvantage of this embodiment of the invention is the ability to remotelylocate the main fuel source in the reservoir 12 from the source ofcombustion and the source of heat generation. In this manner asubstantial amount of heat can be generated with the heating unit wherethe heat will be concentrated at the wick 8 and naturally be transmittedto the pods 4. However, this source of heat is kept remote and distantfrom the main fuel supply and only the intermediate and limited fuelsupply in the first reservoir 1 are subjected to heat. In this mannerthe invention provides substantial improvements over the prior art whereprevious cooking devices have necessitated the close proximity of thegeneration of heat to the main fuel supplies causing many difficultiesand potentially dangerous situations where the main fuel supply canbecome dangerously hot and even approach flash point.

In a third embodiment of the invention a multiwicked pod is used toprovide a substantial spread and delivery of heat over a large area.FIG. 6 shows such an embodiment which operates on the same principles asthe single wicked units.

FIGS. 7 and 8 give comparative results of flame height and fuel usage ofconventional burning units compared to the burner of the invention. Theresults clearly demonstrate the highly constant performance of theburner of the invention where flame height and fuel usage remainconstant during the whole burn time.

The novel features of the liquid fuel burner of the invention provide anenormous range of possible options and configurations previously notavailable for light and heat providing fuel lamps. The ability toprovide a continuous and totally controllable flame for an indefinitetime period sourcing fuel from a remote reservoir, opens up applicationsnot previously available for such burners. Not only are the applicationsvastly improved by the current invention, but the safety, cleanlinessand general convenience of operation is also vastly improved.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerousvariations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown inthe specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are,therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive.

What is claimed is:
 1. A liquid fuel burning device comprising: a firstreservoir adapted for holding a supply of fuel and being closable toform a substantially air-tight seal; a wick system adapted to cooperatewith said first reservoir to withdraw fuel therefrom for combustion; asecond reservoir for containing fuel, said second reservoir being in theshape of an elongate cylinder which cooperates with said first reservoirto form an integrated unit; and a feed tube communicating between thefirst reservoir and the second reservoir, the feed tube having anopening at or near a bottom portion of said second reservoir; whereinwithdrawal of fuel from said first reservoir for combustion creates apartial vacuum therein which automatically draws further fuel throughsaid feed tube from said second reservoir, thereby maintaining aconstant fuel supply within said first reservoir.
 2. A liquid fuelburning device of claim 1, wherein said first reservoir is in the formof a pod having a sealed bottom and open top.
 3. A liquid fuel burningdevice of claim 2, wherein said wick system includes a cap adapted tosealably fit to the open top of said pod, a wick tube traversing saidcap and a wick adapted for snug fit through said wick tube.
 4. A liquidfuel burning device according to claim 1, wherein said feed tube has anaperture positioned toward a top portion of said first reservoir.
 5. Aliquid fuel burning device according to claim 1, wherein said firstreservoir has a smaller capacity than said second reservoir.
 6. A liquidfuel burning device according to claim 5, wherein said first reservoirtakes the form of a small pod.
 7. A liquid fuel burning device accordingto claim 1, shaped as a wax table candle.
 8. A liquid fuel burningdevice according to claim 1, wherein said wick tube comprises a wickadjuster for moving the wick in and out of said wick tube.
 9. A liquidfuel burning device comprising: a first reservoir adapted for holding asupply of fuel and being closable to form a substantially air-tightseal; a wick system adapted to cooperate with said first reservoir towithdraw fuel therefrom for combustion; a second reservoir remote fromsaid first reservoir for containing fuel; a feed tube communicatingbetween the first reservoir and the second reservoir; wherein withdrawalof fuel from said first reservoir for combustion creates a partialvacuum therein which automatically draws further fuel through said feedtube from said second reservoir, thereby maintaining a constant fuelsupply within said first reservoir.
 10. A liquid fuel burning devicecomprising: a first reservoir adapted for holding a supply of fuel andbeing closable to form a substantially air-tight seal; a plurality ofwick systems, each said wick system comprising a cap adapted to sealablyfit to an opening in a top portion of said pod, a wick tube traversingsaid cap and a wick adapted for snug fit through said wick tube, eachsaid wick system adapted to cooperate with said first reservoir towithdraw fuel therefrom for combustion; a second reservoir forcontaining fuel; and a feed tube communicating between the firstreservoir and the second reservoir; wherein withdrawal of fuel from saidfirst reservoir for combustion creates a partial vacuum therein whichautomatically draws further fuel through said feed tube from said secondreservoir, thereby maintaining a constant fuel supply within said firstreservoir.
 11. A liquid fuel burning device comprising: a plurality offirst reservoirs adapted for holding a supply of fuel and being closableto form a substantially air-tight tight seal; a wick system associatedwith each of said first reservoirs adapted to cooperate with said firstreservoir to withdraw fuel therefrom for combustion; at least one secondreservoir for containing fuel; and a plurality of feed tubes, each ofsaid feed tubes communicating between one of said first reservoirs andsaid at least one second reservoir; wherein withdrawal of fuel from saidfirst reservoirs for combustion creates a partial vacuum therein whichautomatically draws further fuel through said feed tube from said atleast one second reservoir, thereby maintaining a constant fuel supplywithin said first reservoirs.
 12. A liquid fuel burning device accordingto claim 11, which a lighting device.
 13. A liquid fuel burning deviceaccording to claim 11, which is a heating device.